2003 Oldsmobile Bravada lock

Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed
can cause an accident. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff, or even another
vehicle. You could be seriously injured or
killed.
As you near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is
about to stall, and
I can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some things you should
do, and there are some things you must not do?
First, here’s what you should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep
it from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R).
0 If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P) and restart the engine. Then shift to REVERSE
(R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill as straight as possible
in
REVERSE (R).
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the
12 o’clock position.
This way you’ll be able to tell
if your wheels
are straight and maneuver as you back down. It’s
best that you back down the hill with your
wheels straight rather than in the left or right
direction. Turning the wheel too far to the left or
right will increase the possibility of a rollover.
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) to “rev-up” the engine and regain
forward momentum. This won’t work. Your vehicle
will roll backwards very quickly and you could
go out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back straight down.
0 Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough to stall
your vehicle, it’s steep enough to cause you to roll
over
if you turn around. If you can’t make it up the hill
you must back straight down the hill.
4-21

Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have an anti-lock braking system,
you’ll want to begin stopping sooner that you would on dry pavement. See
Braking on page 4-6.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until
you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps
of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass
may remain icy when the surrounding roads are
clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake
before you are
on it. Try not to brake while you’re
actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
4-38

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
floor mats
- anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
-.-
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. Snow can trap ~,,raust
,,ses u..,er your
vehicle. This can cause deadly
CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside.
CO could
overcome you and
kill you. You can’t see it or
smell
it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window
just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will
help keep
CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
4-39

Don’t leave an unsecured child resL,int in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you
can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
There’s also important loading information for off-road
driving in this manual.
Electronically Controlled Air
Suspension System
Your vehicle may be equipped with an electronically
controlled air suspension system that automatically
keeps your vehicle level as you load and unload. The
system includes a compressor, two height sensors
and two air springs supporting the rear axle. The system also has an internal clock to prevent
overheating.
If the system overheats, all leveling function
stops until the system cools down. During this time, the
indicator light on the air inflator system will be flashing.
The ignition has
to be on for the system to inflate, in
order
to raise the vehicle to the standard ride height after
loading. The system can lower the vehicle
to the
standard ride height after unloading with the ignition on
and also for up
to 30 minutes after the ignition has
been turned
off.
You may hear the compressor operating when you load
your vehicle, and periodically as the system adjusts
the vehicle
to the standard ride height.
Load leveling will not function normally with the inflator
hose attached
to the inflator outlet. Remove the
inflator hose from the outlet during loading and
unloading.
If the vehicle is parked for an extended period of time,
some bleed down of the suspension is normal. Upon
starting the vehicle, proper height will be achieved.
4-43

.-
While refueling, hang the fuel cap by the tether using
the hook located on the inside of the filler door.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The fuel cap has
a spring in it. If
you let go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the
right. If you gel ,Jel on yoursel,.
,nd then some.,,,ng
ignites
it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out on you
if you open the fuel cap too
quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is
nearly full, and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel
cap slowly and wait for any
“hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap all
the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces
as soon as possible. See Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle on page 5-80. When filling the tank
do not overfill by squeezing in much more fuel after the
pump shuts
off.
5-8

When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make
sure you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See
Malfunction lndicator Lamp on
page 3-35.
Notice: If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may not fit properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. See “Malfunction lndicator Lamp”
in the
Index.
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
NeveL ,,I1 a portable f,,l container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can be badly burned and your vehicle damaged if
this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle,
in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
I inside of the fill opening before operating
i the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
Don’t smoke while pumping gasoline.
until the filling
is complete.
5-9

A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Engine Air CleanedFilter
C. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
D. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter Indicator (If Equipped)
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
F. Automatic Transmission Dipstick
G. Engine Oil Dipstick
H. Radiator Pressure Cap
I. Engine Oil Fill Cap
J. Remote Negative (-) Terminal Marked “GND”
K. Brake Master Cylinder
L. Battery
M. Engine Compartment Fuse Block Before closing
the hood, be sure all filler caps are on
properly. Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on
the hood prop. Remove the hood prop from its slot in
the hood and return the prop to its retainer. Then pull the
hood down firmly to close. It will latch when dropped
from
6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) without pressing on
the hood.
Engine Oil
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
5-1 3

Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10OC). If it's colder than 50°F (IOOC), drive the vehicle
in
THIRD (3) until the engine temperature gage
moves and then remains steady for
10 minutes.
A cold fluid check can be made after the vehicle has
been sitting for eight hours or more with the engine
off,
but this is used only as a reference. Let the engine
run at idle for five minutes
if outside temperatures are
50°F (10°C) or more. If it's colder than 50°F (IOOC), you
may have to idle the engine longer. Should the fluid
level be low during this cold check, you
must check the
fluid hot before adding fluid. Checking the fluid hot
will give you a more accurate reading of the fluid level.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
0 Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK
(P).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more. Then,
without shutting
off the engine, follow these steps:
-1 The automatic
transmission dipstick
handle with the
transmission and lock
symbol is located in the
engine compartment
I I on the passenger's side of
the vehicle.
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12 for
more information on location.
1. Flip the handle up and then pull out the dipstick
and wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
3. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back
in all the way; then flip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
5-21